* Identified by AARP and the World Health Organization as important factors in the
age-friendliness of communities
+ Congratulations to the Transportation Task Force on their award from AVCOG
age-friendliness of communities
+ Congratulations to the Transportation Task Force on their award from AVCOG
The Age-Friendly Community Initiative is pleased to announce the award of two grants, enabling us to pursue two very different projects in our 6 member towns (Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Newry and Woodstock). AARP sponsors a Community Challenge grant opportunity each year; this year AFCI received its second of these grants (the first, four years ago for our Adaptive Toolkit). With this AARP funding, the Bethel Congo Craftsmen and the Bethel Area Arts and Music Program, in collaboration with AFCI, will construct and decorate wooden benches and picnic tables to be installed in well-trafficked outdoor areas. Watch for unfolding news on this "Our Towns" project, as the construction and painting proceed, and especially for the celebrations in the summer to present the six towns with their gifts.
(Photos above reprinted with the permission of The Bethel Citizen. Left are the Congo Craftsmen; right are some of the completed benches and tables.)
Funding from the Maine Community Foundation supports a new outreach to the older adult population of AFCI towns. We hope to give a better understanding of our programs and services – but even more important, to hear from community members about how we might better meet their needs. In April, 2021, in a pilot project funded by the Bethel Rotary Club, we compiled an 8-page mailing, entitled “The Beat Goes On,” which was sent to almost 1000 community members 70 years and older. It contained a number of tidbits and fun items, including paragraphs from students at the Eddy School, the Telstar Freshman Academy, and Gould Academy. The new MCF grant will support similar quarterly mailings throughout the coming year.
(Photos above reprinted with the permission of The Bethel Citizen. Left are the Congo Craftsmen; right are some of the completed benches and tables.)
Funding from the Maine Community Foundation supports a new outreach to the older adult population of AFCI towns. We hope to give a better understanding of our programs and services – but even more important, to hear from community members about how we might better meet their needs. In April, 2021, in a pilot project funded by the Bethel Rotary Club, we compiled an 8-page mailing, entitled “The Beat Goes On,” which was sent to almost 1000 community members 70 years and older. It contained a number of tidbits and fun items, including paragraphs from students at the Eddy School, the Telstar Freshman Academy, and Gould Academy. The new MCF grant will support similar quarterly mailings throughout the coming year.